Dubai-based carrier Emirates will introduce its refitted Boeing 777 aircraft, which includes a premium economy cabin, on routes to London Stansted from 7 May. The move comes after the carrier opened a new £4 million premium lounge at the London airport last September.
The revamp includes a new four-cabin layout with a refreshed business class cabin and the introduction of premium economy. Emirates has already introduced the upgraded B777s on routes from London Heathrow and Edinburgh to Dubai, as well as services to/from Brussels, Geneva, Zurich, Vienna and Athens.
The refitted aircraft include business class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration to increase privacy and allow all passengers direct aisle access. Some B777s also feature Emirates’ Gamechanger suites in first class.
Korean Air in March announced plans to introduce premium economy seats to meet “growing market demand” for the product. The carrier plans to retrofit 11 Boeing 777-300ER by removing existing first-class cabins to make space for premium economy seats, which are expected to enter service in the second half of 2025.
Korean Air will also expand and renovate its existing lounges at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2. The carrier plans to add two Prestige Class Garden lounges in each of the east and west wings, which will open in phases from August 2025.
Cathay Pacific recently unveiled “all-new” business and premium economy cabins ahead of plans to expand its European network, with new routes to Munich and Brussels to commence later this year. The Hong Kong-based carrier’s new business cabin, known as Aria, has been retrofitted on B777-300ER aircraft which comprise 45 suites in a 1-2-1 configuration together with 48 seats in premium economy and 268 in the economy cabin. Aria suites feature a wrap-around seat design, privacy door and sliding partition between seats, plus a 24-inch 4K widescreen TV, charging points and adjustable lighting.
Meanwhile, the carrier’s new premium economy seats feature 15.6-inch 4k screens, reading lights, leather headrests and padded footrests.
Qatar Airways is set to introduce an upgraded version of its Qsuite business class seat this year on Boeing B777-9 aircraft. New elements include a redesigned Quad Suite for up to four passengers with a larger dining and social area, plus the new Companion Suite for two travellers in window aisles. Other features include 4K OLED manoeuvrable entertainment screens as well as increased space and privacy.
The Doha-based carrier is also accelerating the implementation of Starlink wifi services across its B777 fleet, which will likely be completed by the end of Q2 this year.
Australian carrier Qantas Airways expects its first ultra-long-haul ‘Project Sunrise’ Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to enter service in the second half of 2026, operating non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York.
More than 40 per cent of seats in the new aircraft are allocated to premium cabins – with six first class suites, 52 business suites in a 1-2-1 configuration (each seat has a sliding door) and 40 seats in premium economy – together with 140 economy seats. There’s also a ‘Wellbeing Zone’, available to passengers in any travel class, equipped with self-serve snacks and walls fitted with sculpted surfaces and integrated handles for stretching exercises.
